Why are legacy admissions still a thing?

It's true that many of the benefits of America's best college would exist without legacy. But enabling colleges to give a bump to students who have a connection to an institution helps to establish a powerful sense of community in the institution, which enriches the experience for all participants.

What are the benefits of legacy admission?

A legacy admission is both more likely to enroll and to be retained. The applicant knows what they are getting into and what the campus life is like. They also have someone who can provide advice. The applicant also has an existing if indirect relationship with the university.

Why do schools accept legacies?

Colleges say that legacy preferences help create an intergenerational community on campuses and grease the wheels for donations, which can be used for financial aid.

Are colleges getting rid of legacy?

But the broader movement to end legacy preferences appears to have hit a wall. Relatively few of the most competitive private colleges and universities have renounced the legacy factor. Even some public universities, such as William & Mary and the University of Virginia, are continuing the practice.

Will legacy admissions be banned?

Kennedy's 2003 proposal but on a state level—did pass, and its success has given more transparency to legacy admissions in California than almost anywhere in the country. But the push fell short of prohibition. The only successful legacy ban to pass in recent years was in Colorado in 2021.

LEGACY ADMISSIONS IS OFFICIALLY ENDING

Why does Harvard accept legacy?

At Harvard, legacies have higher median SAT test scores and grades than the rest of admitted students. According to The Atlantic, "While some research indicates that legacy admits go on to earn lower average grades than their peers, plenty are strong applicants."

Will Harvard stop legacy admissions?

Given how Harvard and other high-status schools have valued legacy students, it's unlikely they will give up the practice easily, even with the Department of Education investigating the practice. These institutions say legacy admissions help foster relationships with alumni and promote an intergenerational community.

Which top colleges don t consider legacy?

How do colleges know if you're a legacy?

Colleges can include questions about legacy status in their supplements on the Common Application, and it's often just two or three questions. Are you related to an alumnus? What is your relationship to that alumnus?

Do Ivy Leagues care about legacy?

The schools say something wishy-washy such as “Given two applicants of equal ability, preference may be giving to the legacy applicant.” Others have said being a legacy is on par with 100–150 SAT points added. Legacy admissions enable students whose family attended Ivy League schools immediate acceptance.

Why do colleges care so much about legacy?

Castilla says legacy students are often more likely to be financially able to pay for tuition and require less aid, and are more likely to accept an offer from their legacy institution. Legacies may also be more likely to make larger and more frequent donations after graduation.

Does Harvard reject legacies?

Harvard gives preference to applicants who are recruited athletes, legacies, relatives of donors and children of faculty and staff. As a group, they make up less than 5 percent of applicants, but around 30 percent of those admitted each year.

What percent of Harvard is legacy?

Legacy students made up 36 percent of the class of 2022, according to a Harvard Crimson survey. And documents from the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College case revealed that nearly 70 percent of Harvard's donor-related and legacy applicants are white.

What is legacy admission controversy?

According to the AP, critics of legacy admissions say it contributes to persistently low numbers of Black students at top colleges. In addition, at many schools with legacy preferences, Black students were not admitted until the 1960s, said Michael Dannenberg, a vice president at the Education Reform Now think tank.

Does Yale consider legacy?

Eleven percent of the Yale College class of 2027 are legacies, according to the admissions office's First-Year Class Profile. This number marks a slight decrease in legacy population from the class of 2026, which has 12 percent legacy students, and the class of 2025, which has 14 percent legacy students.

What colleges have the highest legacy admissions?

These include MIT, Caltech, and Cooper Union. While controversial, being a legacy can provide a massive boost to your odds of acceptance. For example, the admission rate for Harvard legacies is over five times that of non-legacies.

Do aunts and uncles count as legacy?

An applicant normally has legacy status at a college if a member of the applicant's immediate family attends or attended the college, but at certain schools it might also mean a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or cousin.

Does a sibling count as legacy?

Some institutions, such as Stanford and UNC, only consider "primary legacy" status—where one or both applicant's parents are alumni. Yet, most schools will also grant favor to "secondary legacies" who claim a grandparent, sibling, or other non-parental familial affiliation to the school.

Why do colleges ask if a sibling is applying?

This is known as legacy admissions. Legacy admissions is a practice in which colleges and universities give preferential treatment to applicants who have family members who have attended the institution. The rationale behind legacy admissions is that it helps to build a sense of community and tradition at the school.

What schools don t care about legacy?

What schools are stopping legacy admissions?

Although M.I.T. has stood out among the most selective institutions in reportedly never having considered legacy status, Johns Hopkins eliminated legacy admissions in 2014, and was followed by Pomona, Amherst, and Wesleyan.

When did MIT get rid of legacy admissions?

In fact, MIT had no legacy admission program to get rid of, and there is no record of it having one in the past, according to a spokesperson for the school.

How much does legacy increase your chances?

Stats on legacy admissions

A study of thirty elite colleges, found that primary legacy students are an astonishing 45% more likely to get into a highly selective college or university than a non-legacy. Secondary legacies receive a lesser pick-me-up of 13%.

What counts as legacy at Princeton?

Princeton considers the children or stepchildren of graduate and undergraduate alumni to be legacy applicants. According to data from Princeton in 2018, over 30 percent of applicants with a legacy connection are admitted, compared to less than five percent overall.

How does Harvard know you are a legacy?

Someone with a parent who attended Harvard is a primary legacy. Someone with a grandparent or some other relative who attended is a secondary legacy. Only primary legacies really get an advantage in terms of admissions.